Kannur/Thiruvananthapuram, February 24: Tension prevailed in the Aralam area of Kannur district on Monday after residents protested against wild animal attacks, blocking the ambulance carrying the bodies of a tribal couple who had been killed in a wild elephant attack the previous day. The protesters demanded that the bodies should not be taken home until Forest Minister A K Saseendran arrived at the location.

Despite discussions held by political leaders, including Kannur MP K Sudhakaran, MLA Sajeev Joseph, and CPI(M) district secretary M V Jayarajan, the protesters refused to change their stance. Locals blocked the ambulance by placing trees and stones on the road and staged a sit-in protest. Youth Congress workers also blocked the minister's official vehicle at Aralam Panchayat Office, where he had arrived to attend an all-party meeting.

Some protesters climbed onto the bonnet of his car and waved black flags.

The police intervened, arresting and removing the protesters, allowing the minister to proceed to the panchayat office. Elephant Attack in Kerala: Elderly Tribal Couple Trampled to Death by Wild Elephant in Kannur.

The Kannur district collector and sub-collector have reached the site as the situation remains tense. Locals demand that Minister Saseendran personally visit the area and provide assurances for resolving the issue. A heavy police presence has been deployed in the region. The tragedy occurred on Sunday evening, when Velli (husband) and Leela (wife) were trampled to death by a wild elephant while collecting cashew nuts at Aralam Farm, Block 13, Karikkamukku.

Since the elephant remained near the bodies for a long time, it was initially impossible to retrieve them. The recovery attempt later led to intensified protests. During late-night discussions, Sub-Collector Karthik Panigrahi and MLA Sunny Joseph were also blocked by protesters. The police had to forcibly disperse the crowd to rescue them around 11 pm. Finally, at 11.30 pm, the bodies were shifted to the hospital. Meanwhile, an all-party meeting, chaired by the Forest Minister, was held at Aralam Panchayat. Elephant Attack in Wayanad: Eco-Tourism Worker Trampled to Death by Wild Tusker in Kerala; Second Death in Less Than a Week.

The government announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the family of the deceased, with the first instalment to be handed over on Monday. In response to the incident, the UDF and BJP observed a hartal in Aralam Panchayat on Monday. In a related development, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has convened a high-level meeting to assess the measures taken to address human-wildlife conflict. The meeting will be held on February 27, at 3.30 pm in the Chief Minister's Conference Hall at the Secretariat, according to an official release from Thiruvananthapuram.

Ministers and bureaucrats from the departments of Forest, Finance, Local Self-Government, Electricity, Revenue, Health, and Irrigation will attend the meeting. Senior officials from the Forest and Wildlife Department, the State Police Chief, and the Member Secretary of the State Disaster Management Authority will also participate. The meeting will review the measures taken so far to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, the release added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)